Overview

For decades, the legions of World War II buffs interested in Allied and Axis naval history were limited to expensive, multi-volume works written for specialists. No longer will this be the case. Fleets of World War II, packed with data and illustrated throughout, is not a simple list of ships but a fascinating and often pungent appraisal of those ships and the fleets they served. Japan built the world's largest battleships with guns bigger than anything in the Allied arsenal-but was bigger in fact better? The ...

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Overview

For decades, the legions of World War II buffs interested in Allied and Axis naval history were limited to expensive, multi-volume works written for specialists. No longer will this be the case. Fleets of World War II, packed with data and illustrated throughout, is not a simple list of ships but a fascinating and often pungent appraisal of those ships and the fleets they served. Japan built the world's largest battleships with guns bigger than anything in the Allied arsenal-but was bigger in fact better? The British engaged in a wartime flurry of ship production-but did they build the ships they needed for victory? Fleets of World War II dispels the clutter, providing a straightforward appraisal that is nothing short of revelatory.A complete resource, the book includes every nation that took part in the war, along with the key neutrals. Each fleet is surveyed in totality, from the mighty battleships to the humble motor launches. The systematic, plain-English presentation makes for easy reference: nation by nation, ship by ship, with a multitude of details on design, strategy, and combat available nowhere else.

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Anonymous

Posted December 23, 2002

Not Completely Worthless

The notes on the inner flap of the dust cover promise more than this book delivers. For instance, it says, "The British engaged in a wartime flurry of ship production - but did they build the ships they needed for victory". The question goes unanswered. There is virtually the same comment on every British destroyer: " should have had DP guns". Well duh, sure. It is pointed out that there was a lack of such guns and mounts, but there is no comment about how well they were apportioned, given that lack. There is no discussion about the types of propulsive machinery. The allies had a lack of both engines and reduction gears. This had a strong choice on the ships built, but there is no discussion. If your library is to have only one book one the subject, this one would not be a bad one to consider. It certainly has breath and touches on many minor types. It has interesting tidbits, but you have to look through out the whole book to find them. This is a pleasant book to browse. I took it on a trip recently and enjoyed opening it up at random and reading a short article on a random ship type.

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Anonymous

Posted February 10, 2002

Excellent Book

This book covers what I usially look for in the book. The boring statistics can usually be found in the variety of places, but what this book provides is the comparison of the ships and lists teir strengths and weaknesses. It is a guide to the warships of WWII. The interesting thing that it also covers all of the mnir navies that took part in WWII. I loved it.

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